Clashes break out in Egypt amid election tension

CAIRO—Clashes broke out between police and members of Egypt’s largest opposition group Saturday and authorities arrested hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members as tensions intensified ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections.

At least 10 people were injured when baton-wielding police dispersed a rally for local candidate Mohammed Fayyad in Sharqiya province, north of Cairo, said Abdel Galil el-Sharnoubi, a spokesman for the Brotherhood.

In a separate incident, police stopped a Brotherhood procession for candidate Simary Mansour in the town of Abu Kibeer, also in Sharqiya, and damaged 12 cars and seized seven others, the group’s website reported.

It also said that police attempted to disperse a rally in the port city of Alexandria with tear gas and rubber bullets.

The fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood is the top rival to the ruling party of President Hosni Mubarak heading into the Nov. 28 vote. Many in Egypt fear it will see the same widespread violence that plagued the last parliamentary elections, in 2005, when police and government-backed vigilantes stopped people from casting ballots and clashed with rivals.

A security official said that 117 people were arrested Saturday for demonstrating without a license in Fayyoum, Sharqiya and Alexandria provinces, but would not give more details. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which is the best-organized opposition force in the country, says it has been pummeled by a wave of arrests, with more than 700 people detained since it announced last month that it would field candidates in the election.

El-Sharnoubi said just in the past 48 hours police have arrested 300 members and supporters of the movement.

“The regime has decided not to tolerate any (Brotherhood) election activity and including even the media campaign and simple peaceful processions,” he said.

In 2005 elections, the Brotherhood surprised the country by winning 88 seats in parliament, a fifth of the body and about 10 times more than any other opposition group.

But it has faced a major government crackdown and the organization has predicted it will lose many of those seats in the coming election due to government interference. Though the group is officially banned, candidates can compete as independents.

Unlike in previous elections, there will be no independent judicial supervision at the polling stations for next week’s contest. In 2007 the government amended the constitution so that polls will now be supervised by a government-appointed body.

Meanwhile in the southern Egyptian town of Qena, one man died and another was injured by gunfire when candidates from the ruling party appeared at a wedding prompting participants to shoot into the air in celebration.

This year’s parliament vote comes amid uncertain political times in Egypt, with presidential elections due next year. The 82-year-old Mubarak, in power for nearly 30 years, had gall bladder surgery earlier this year, raising questions over his health—though party officials say he will run for another six-year term. Many believe he is grooming his son, Gamal, to succeed him.

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